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Main-Lining technique growing marijuana

This entry was posted on January 14, 2016 by Sant Yerbasi.

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Main-Lining is another well-known technique to get bigger

yields from marijuana plants. Main-Lining is an advanced
technique that combines different pruning methods to get an
efficient energy distribution along all plant, so higher yields. In

this post we will detail how to apply Main-Lining growing

cannabis plants, indoors and outdoors, to get a better plant,
and flowers, structure.

What does Main-Lining means?

Main-Lining is an expression to define the concept of this technique. This technique takes
its name of the will of using only the main shots of the plant. Main-Lining creates a spot

to equally distribute the plant's energy from roots to each cola. To apply this technique
(named by a grower known as Nugbuckets), We will make a topping of the main cola,
and then a low stress training step, and also a low branches pruning.

Advantages of Main-Lining growing marijuana

Applying main-lining to marijuana plants has many advantages like:

-Control plant's height.

-Equal energy distribution along all plant.
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-Equal canopy.
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 -Thicker buds.

-Stretch control.
-Once this technique is applied during vegetative stage there is no need to make more
effords.
-Better adaptation to any place.

Explaining Main-Lining technique step by step from seed:

Step 1: Wait until seedlings have 5-6 nodes.

Following Nugbuckets' recomendations, the optimal moment to proceed with this step is

when plants have developed their first 5-6 first nodes. It can be done later on, but all the
extended time will be lost, due to plant would be spending energy in something that will
be deleted. It is important to notice that plant should continue growing. Never do main-
lining technique to a plant that has started to flower.

Step 2: Topping the plant until its third node (cut the main trunk
over its real third pair of leaves)

Topping technique is base in doing a prune of the main top.

Why topping and not FIM pruning?

If we do a topping we can get rid of the main, or use it as a cutting, to create a new
plant that will become an exact copy from the original mother.
After this step, your plant should only have 3 nodes.

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 Untopped marijuana plant

Step 3: Delete everything grown under third node

Quit everything dveloped under the 3rd node, including cotyledons, shots and leaves.
The third node will be the new distribution center of the plant that will send all the

energy and effords to develope this node.

So, the purpose of this step is to keep only the two new shots that are born in the third
node, so the roots will only need to send energy to this point. This will allow your plant to

distribute the energy to all parts of the plant.

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 Quit everything grown under third node

*What does it happen if we cut too much?

If new shots kept in plant are still to small, it is possible that grower will like to keep the
leaves just under them. Leaving those leaves for a certain time will save time, due to a

faster developement of those shots.

Anyway, what is really important is to get rid of all shots existing under that third node.

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 Main-lined plant structure

Step 4: guide the new mains in a 90º angle

At this point we should guide two new mains, creating a 90º angle.

If you wait until 5th or 6th node to start applying main-lining, probably you will be able
to do this step by far. Whatever, if your two mains are too small to be tied, you'll only

need to wait few more days of growing to do so. Once they've grown enough it is the
moment to proceed with this step.

Every strain has its only growing time. Some plants need an extra growing, while others

will have enough long shots to tie them before the last step. Some strains respond better
to be guided and tied, while other don't, so you'll need to follow your intuition. If, for any

reason, a new shot brakes, just tape it and plant will cure itself.

Know the plants we are working with helps a lot, but just in case we are scared of
generate a movement too fast, you just need to give plants a couple of extra time

between step and step to see how they react.

Slow movements taking care will prevent against breakage, at the same time they teach

us what likes to our plants and what doesn't.

In cases where plants suffer from stress derived from temperatures, or defficiencies, is

always better to wait until plants recover from that stress before follow with the
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 Guide for main-lining

To tie the new shots you can use whatever, but remember to don't use nothing as thing

that could cut plant's skin. Gardening wire, hooks or whatever relatively rigid that allows

to be shaped could be good. Never use fishing line (that could harm the stems).

Tie the main shots born on the node will keep your ending plant much more short, and
will give your trunk main-lined appearance.

Step 5: Let your plants grow vigorously again and prune again the
mains in a symetric way to double the number of mains

Wait until your plant restart growing quickly and healthy again.
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main colas start stretching healthy. x
 Some growers wait until the new shots grow few nodes while others just wait the shots

to be formed.

Main-lining step

Once plants show out again its developement, it is important to focus on which t¡its new

main shots are. Choose properly its main lines it is important for the efficiency of plant's
structure. You need to assure to choose properly the main nodes, and their

correspondant sides for a better simetry.

Once chosen the nodes, we'll need to do a topping again of the top part of each main.

For this step it is recommended to keep the leaves under the node for a while, because

to do that will boost its developement.

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 Main-lined plant

Every time that we do a topping, we are doubling the number of mains of the plant, so

once done this step we will have the double of mains than in step 4.

Step 6: Delete the shots grown under our new mains

Although Nugbuckets does this step just next to the last, some growers, specially less

experienced in main-lining, could choose to wait some days to assure plant is responding

well to the topping done, before cleaning appeared shots.

Grower can choose to keep the leaves just under the shots kept, or quit them, but

Nugbuckets usually takes all of them out, except the ones directly under kept shots.
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 the most important thing is to quit all shots under your mains, because your intention is

to tell your plant to send all its energy to your new mains. Any other shot would rob

energy to the main structure.

Step 7: Repeat step 5 and 6 until getting the number of mains

desired (proceed topping until getting 8, 16 or 32 mains)

As we explained previously, every time we do a topping, we are doubling the number of

mains. Bascially because we are dividing the main cola in two each time we top.
This way you can prune the plant once to get 2 mains, twice to get 4, three times to get

8, etc.

Recomendation of number of toppings depending on type of growing

Main-lining growing indoors:

Generally, growing indoors, it is recommended to get 8 mains (that you'll get doing 3
toppings, included the first one).

Main-Lining outdoors and in greenhouses: Prune 3-4 times to get between 8 and 16

mains per plant. This way we'll improve sunlight absortion and we'll get bushy plants.

We specially recommend the use of sativa strains with Scrog technique, thanks to its

better side branching. It is better to give them a few extra time of growing (to better fill
the net) before switching to flowering.

*Important: More main colas doesn't mean better. In most cases, the optimal number of

mains is 8 or 16. Unless you are growing in Scrog, more mains doesn't usually improve
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 Step 8: You are ready. Now you only have to wait main-lining to
do the job for you

Unlike many other growing techniques, main-lining is a front-loading process. Once step

7 is done, there is not much to do, but keeping your plant alive and healthy.

Foto from: Nugbuckets

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 Flood irrigation watering How to prune marijuana

Ideal temperature for grow-rooms How to germinate cannabis seeds

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This entry was posted in Tips for marijuana growing on January 14, 2016 by Sant
Yerbasi.

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6 thoughts on “Main-Lining technique growing marijuana”

steve.
August 5, 2016 at 8:51 pm

very good concise article. really enjoyed it and have taken info' on board. really into
this. saved to 'favourites' for re-reading. good descriptive drawings.
Reply ↓

santyerbasi
August 6, 2016 at 5:31 pm
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 Thank you Steve,
We try to do our best writing. If I can ask you for a favour, just tell your friends
about us. That would be much appreciated.
Best wishes,
SantYerbasi team
Reply ↓

Nugbuckets
January 3, 2017 at 4:02 am

Hello Santyerbasi.......well done on the article, one of the better ones i have seen on
the web, keep up the good work!

Nugs
Reply ↓

Emeraldo
February 11, 2019 at 3:46 am

Excellent info! The best I've been able to dig up on the web. Thanks!
Reply ↓

Phil Murphy
March 20, 2019 at 1:14 am

Good knowledge. Thanks!!!

Reply ↓

santyerbasi
March 20, 2019 at 11:48 am

Thank you for your kind comments Phil

Reply ↓

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